31 July 2011

30 July 2011

Willow knows she’s different from other girls, and not just because she loves tinkering with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into the future and know people’s dreams and hopes, their sorrows and regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where this power comes from. But the assassin, Alex, does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows more about Willow than Willow herself. He knows that her powers link to dark and dangerous forces, and that he’s one of the few humans left who can fight them. When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil.

29 July 2011

27 July 2011

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

24 July 2011

I got contacts for the first time on Friday. So my eyes are irritating me. And it puts me in a grumpy mood. So that's why this IMM is late-ish. Good news, my whole week has been made by an awesome person.

Ariel: A seductive air spirit. Disaster follows in his wake, but Bertie simply cannot resist him.

Welcome to the Theatre Illuminata, where the characters of every play ever written can be found behind the curtain. The actors are bound to the Theatre by The Book, an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of the actors, but they are her family. And she is about to lose them all because The Book has been threatened, and along with it the Theatre. It's the only home Bertie has ever known, and she has to find a way to save it. But first, there's the small problem of two handsome men, both vying for her attention. The course of true love never did run smooth…

22 July 2011

21 July 2011

then.When Sam met Grace, he was a wolf and she was a girl. Eventually he found a way to become a boy, and their love moved from a curious distance to the intense closeness of shared lives.

now.That should have been the end of their story. But Grace was not meant to stay human. Now she is the wolf. And the wolves of Mercy Falls are about to be killed in one final, spectacular hunt.forever.Sam would do anything for Grace. But can one boy and one love really change a hostile, predatory world? The past, the present, and the future are about to collide in one pure moment - a moment of death or life, farewell or forever.

20 July 2011

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

19 July 2011

Seraph is among the last of the Travelers, those who strive to destroy the dark magic released by their ancestors' mistakes. Seraph tried to escape her people's duty and live a quiet life, until evil found her…and her family.

A cunning new force for darkness called the Shadowed stalks the land, feeding on death, destruction, and the sleeping Stalker's power. He plans to wake the Stalker, wreaking untold havoc, but he needs those who bear the Travelers' magic to release the dark god…and he has his sights set on Seraph and her family.

Now Seraph must use all her cunning and ability as a Raven mage to track down the Shadowed and strike against him before it is too late…

18 July 2011

Just For Kicks is a weekly meme held by me, The Authoress, that lets us share whatever random thing we want—whether it's book related or not is up to you.

I have really weird animals. And I have a weird inclination to share the weirdness of my animals through pictures. I have waaaay too many pictures of my animals on my computer. And I've taken to posting pictures of my animals on the memes I participate in, like In My Mailbox and Follow Friday, just cause they happened to have done something funny that day.

(This strange loyalty to photographing my cat inspired the use of a cat in this meme's graphic.)

Giving in to this inclination, I'd like to share a few fond pictures of my animals with you today.

17 July 2011

Past week's been good. Got some excellent books, read some excellent books, went to see Harry Potter at midnight. All very fun stuff.

Forever | Maggie Stiefvater Uh, yea? Need I say more? This is book three in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series. I've heard from my super secret blogger source that there's a lot of conflicting reviews about this one. Still. I'm glad it's finally next on my to-read list.

The Mockingbirds | Daisy Whitney A phenomenal book that I bought via Amazon as soon as I finished reading it. I recommend this book to everyone, regardless if you like paranormal romance or fantasy.

The DUFF | Kody Keplinger Another phenomenal book that I recommend to everyone looking for a funny, engaging read. This is one of my favorites. Look later this week for the review.

Just for Kicks | Her Highness, Gigi I don't know why I love sharing pictures of my animals with anyone who can see, but here it is. First of all, we don't call her Gigi (though we do sometime call her "Highness"). We just call her Cat. Yea. And her throne is my desk chair. However, I found her sitting in my brand new reading chair and decided to snap a pic. All hail Queen Cat! You see her here glaring down at her subjects.

What did you get in your mailbox?

Oh wait!

While I've got you here, Mac Users: I'm going to college next year (2012-2013) and I want to get a new laptop. The one I have now is a dinosaur. While trusty, there's no way I'm hauling this around a college campus or anywhere else. I want a Mac. Specifically, a Macbook Pro (13"). I've done a lot of research on the Macs, but I want the opinions of Mac users about switching from a PC to a Mac. Or if you've always had a Mac, what are the pros and cons? Note: I love making graphics and Mac's excellent with graphics. Are there good graphic programs Mac offers?

14 July 2011

Today, ladies and gents, up for my inspection is Leah Cypess, author of two of the bestest books ever: Mistwood and Nightspell. With Tamora Pierce-like style, Leah Cypess crafts excellent character-driven stories featuring an inhuman shifter learning to be human and a girl battling the forces of the dead. Now, if you haven't read these two books yet, shame on you. And don't you sit there and cry about it neither. Go to the bookstore and get them! It'll be well worth it.

Using my powers of persuasion and a touch of psychic power, I coerced Ms. Cypess to chill with us here today. Let's see what she has to say under torture:

13 July 2011

In this haunted kingdom, ghosts linger—not just in the deepest forests or the darkest caverns, but alongside the living, as part of a twisted palace court that revels all night and sleeps through the daylight hours.

Darri's sister was trapped in this place of fear and shadows as a child. And now Darri has a chance to save her sister . . . if she agrees to a betrothal with the prince of the dead. But nothing is simple in this eerie kingdom—not her sister, who has changed beyond recognition; not her plan, which will be thrown off track almost at once; and not the undead prince, who seems more alive than anyone else.

In a court seething with the desire for vengeance, Darri holds the key to the balance between life and death. Can her warrior heart withstand the most wrenching choice of all?

11 July 2011

By some interference of the book gods, I've been reading and reviewing like crazy these past two weeks with almost a review every day (except for meme days). Except for today. I have no review yet (because Raven's Strike comes tomorrow) so a meme it is!

I've read and reviewed all those books last week. Pretty good, methinks. I've employed a new library technique. I only check out three to four books and I have to read and review ALL of them before I can get anymore books. And while I'm waiting for more books to come in at the library (cause it'll take forever sometimes—I waited ten months for Raven's Shadow) I have to read a book off my own shelf that I haven't read yet.

While I was wallowing in my own conviction of genius, I planned out what I'm going to read THIS week. This one, sorry, is going to be in list form because that's how it is in real life—on a post it note on my desk.

This Week:

Raven's Strike – Patricia Briggs

Nightspell – Leah Cypess

Past Midnight – Mara Purnhagen

The Maze Runner – James Dashner

I dare not do more. Encroaching on my reading schedule is an intense desire to write, so of course I must give in. I'm also participating in Follow Fridays now, so that takes up Friday for a review. I also have an interview this week with the wonderful Leah Cypess, so that leaves Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday for reviews.

Don't forget to check out a great resource forum for bloggers:

link up darlins! I wanna visit!

10 July 2011

In all honesty, a short week. A lifted burden, however, when I found I completely forgot to include two books I got for my birthday, which I said I was going to show you. Yeah, I know you lost some sleep over it, but fear not, for they are here.

Special thanks to the Harlequin Teen Panel.

Exile | Anne Osterlund (companion novel to Aurelia) This is a published copy, which I had put down on my birthday wish list to support this awesome author. I've read the ARC edition and loved it—duh, it's an Anne Osterlund novel, what's there not to love?—but I knew I wanted a published copy.

Nightspell | Leah Cypess (companion novel to Mistwood) Lovely cover, isn't it? "Mistwood" was awesome so I was psyched to get the companion novel.

Past Midnight | Mara Purnhagen (Past Midnight #1) This is for review. I've seen it around, but other than that, I don't too much about it or the author. So we'll see!

And for kicks | Dora This is my goofy German shepherd, Dora. (D-d-d-dora…Dora the Explorer!) No, she wasn't named after the show. That's the name she had at the Human Society shelter when we bought her. Name kinda stuck. She's adorable, if antisocial to non-family members. Has a fetish for tennis balls.

What did you get in your mailbox?

By the way, Blogology is a newly launched resource forum for bloggers—a great place to improve your blog and meet other bloggers.

09 July 2011

Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional student body that the administration trusts to always behave the honorable way—the Themis way. So when Alex Patrick is date-raped during her junior year, she has two options: Stay silent and hope someone helps, or enlist the aid of the Mockingbirds—a secret society of students dedicated to righting the wrongs of the student body.

In this account of a teenage girl's search for her voice and the courage to use it, debut author Daisy Whitney reminds readers that standing up for someone, especially yourself, is worth the fight.

Link up, darlins! I wanna visit.

07 July 2011

Sixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background - the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip - but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island.

Until now.

Strange things have been happening in this claustrophobic town - from the mountain lions that have been approaching Maya to her best friend's hidden talent for "feeling" out people and situations, to the sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel . . . . different. Combine that with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya's biological parents and it's easy to suspect that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet.

06 July 2011

My name is Madison Avery, and I'm here to tell you that there's more out there than you can see, hear, or touch. Because I'm there. Seeing it. Touching it. Living it.

Madison's prom was killer—literally. For some reason she's been targeted by a dark reaper—yeah, that kind of reaper—intent on getting rid of her, body and soul. But before the reaper could finish the job, Madison was able to snag his strange, glowing amulet and get away.

Now she's stuck on Earth—dead but not gone. Somehow the amulet gives her the illusion of a body, allowing her to toe the line between life and death. She still doesn't know why the dark reaper is after her, but she's not about to just sit around and let fate take its course.

With a little ingenuity, some light-bending, and the help of a light reaper (one of the good guys! Maybe . . . ), her cute crush, and oh yeah, her guardian angel, Madison's ready to take control of her own destiny once and for all, before it takes control of her.

05 July 2011

For those of you who remember, I had started a community for bloggers called Insincere Conformity. It was meant to give a place for bloggers to socialize with other bloggers. It started well, but didn't go far. So I let it go for a while but then I thought, Why don't I try again? It's summer, I've got plenty of time on my hands and I'm one of those people who gets dangerously restless without anything to do. XD

So I started again and created a new forum. Except this time, I changed my focus. After thinking to myself, What do bloggers want? I decided on a resource forum. Someplace where bloggers could go to socialize while improving their blog. A place to network, join discussions, advertise your blog, learn something new.

The forum could be improved so much more for everyone if it had a strong staff behind it.

If you're a book blogger (of any genre, age, creed) and you:

have some free time on your hands

are willing to contribute (besides your time) your creative juices

are willing to promote the forum on your blog, Twitter, etc.

Then, please shoot me an email inspirationamelia(at)gmail(dot)com to just let me know you're interested. If you already have an idea for the forum or of how you can contribute, please include that in your email. I look forward to hearing from you.

When thirteen-year-old Gelsem is kidnapped in the night from her peaceful home on Level Gee, the timid girl is shocked to wake up on Level Pee, the 'penitentiary'. Stuck in a foreign realm populated entirely by criminals, Gelsem manages to befriend a group of pre-teen revolutionaries, among them a young Giantess and a boy harboring a great secret.

In order to escape, the young teens must enlist the help of the Panjandrum, a professional thief turned accidental monarch and prisoner to the Level's bureaucratic elite. Desperate to find a way home to her family, Gelsem is forced to learn some hard truths about trust and friendship while dodging conniving politicians, mind-controlling spirits and a murderous sculptor determined to turn all of the children on the Level into macabre statuary.

Thus begins Gelsem's extraordinary adventure in the first book of the Aerolith Adventure series, Panjandrum.

04 July 2011

The covenant that was meant to keep the wizard wars at bay has been stolen, and Trinity must prepare for attack. Everyone is doing their part: Seph is monitoring the Weirwalls, Jack and Ellen are training their ghostly army, even Anaweir Will and Fitch are setting booby traps around the town’s perimeter. But to Jason Haley it seems like everyone wants to keep him out of the action. He may not be the most powerful wizard in Trinity, but he’s prepared to fight for his friends.

Everything changes, though, when Jason finds a powerful talisman—a huge opal called the Dragonheart—buried in a cave. The stone seems to sing to Jason’s very soul—showing him that he’s meant for more than anyone’s guessed.

Moral compasses spin out of control as a final battle storms through what was once a sanctuary for the gifted. With so much to lose,w hat will the people of Trinity be willing to fight for—and what will they sacrifice? It’s everyone for himself in this thrilling conclusion to the Heir trilogy.

what did you get in your mailbox?

Where To Find Me

Authors, Publishers, and Bloggers

Authors and Publishers: I am currently not accepting review requests. However, I'm all for hosting giveaways, participating in hops, or sharing a guest post. For full details and contact info, please visit my Review Policy.

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About

Amelia RobinsonLexington, KY

I am a lover of a great many things: hero's stories, quotes, purple things, nail polish properly applied, British shows, exquisitely simple templates, eos lip balms in a clear jar, warm beds in winter, 50 chaotic pages of a draft, unknowable characters, Christmas songs in June, a bit of philosophy, a dash of psychology, the piano on a rainy day, a good daydream.

I am a 21-year-old college student and an aspiring writer. I would love to be your friend. Especially if you like a good story. Read more..